Start by putting the cream cheese into a bowl, and pouring the preserves onto the top of the cream cheese. Use a spatula to split up the cream cheese before putting the bowl into the microwave and heating until the cream cheese is gooey enough to mix the apricot and cream cheese together. You don't want it too be too soupy, but not really firm, either.

Next beat the eggs before mixing them with the milk and optional ingredients. Stir to get even consistency.

Cut the bagette into slices roughly 2 inches thick. Cut down the center of the new sections, going only about 3/4 of the way down.
Heat up a griddle or pan on high heat for about 4 minutes, to make sure it's really hot, then pour on a thin layer of oil or some non-stick spray. Turn the griddle to about half heat, maybe a bit higher depending on how big your griddle is.
Dip the section of the bagette in the egg-milk mix, then spoon a generous amount of the apricot-cream cheese mix into the sliver in the center of the bread slice. Give it a soft squeeze to make sure the apricot cream cheese sort of glues itself in there, and set it onto the griddle.
Fry for a minute or so(not as long as regular french toast, the sides are much smaller here) on each side, remove.

You can replace the apricot preserves with any other sort of preserves or jam you like. My favorite is strawberry preserves, but it seems the Bed and Breakfast guests enjoyed the apricot mix the best.
Don't ask for nutrition facts. You don't want to know._________________Knowledge is Power.
Power Corrupts.
Study.
Be Evil.

Follow the instructions on package of cake mix using the canned pumpkin instead of the water it calls for.
pour half into each bunt pan and bake for 35 minutes at 325 degrees
after letting them cool, carefully trim the tops so that they are flat and even
place them tops together using a little frosting to hold them in place

start by mixing a little of the whiped cream in at a time so as not to get rid of all the air
when completely mixed, set some aside and mix in a few drops of green food color
add a few drops of orange to the rest and frost the whole cake
to finish, place the ice cream cone in the center of the cake and frost with the green

Soak a shaved sheep in 80 pints of the Guinness. Roll the sheep in a mixture of oatmeal and onion. Dig a pit in the back yard and build a fire. Roast the sheep for 8 to 10 hours and drink the remaining ten pints of Guinness. Discard any hairy, bony, or hoofy parts of the sheep, and serve with boiled potatoes, cabbage, and plenty of Guinness._________________Passer pour un idiot aux yeux d'un imbécile est une volupté de fin gourmet.

Heat some oil in a wok or pan. Add the spices and pastes (not the optional ones). Once they start smelling, add the pork and garlic and ginger. Cook pork. Add tofu and optional stuff. Cook for a while.

The key is the Sichuan peppercorn. You can't use regular peppercorn. Throw in some bok choy to make it healthier.

Last edited by Dro on Fri Oct 26, 2007 11:33 pm; edited 1 time in total

Joined: 13 Jul 2006Posts: 1765Location: On the sunny side of the street

Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 11:24 pm Post subject: Cheesecake!!

Quote:

Butter a nine-inch springform pan. Preheat oven to 350F.

Crust:

One package of graham crackers [one of those packages that come three-in-a box, not the entire box], crushed
Five or so tablespoons of butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Stir the sugar and crackers together until you can't see anymore sugar. Mix in the butter with fork until all the crumbs have been moistened.

If it still looks a bit dry, add another tablespoon butter.

Pour into pan and smooth out at the bottom, pressing rather firmly with your fingers. Set aside.

Filling:

Three 8oz. packages of cream cheese, softened [Philidelphia is preferred, but any will do, just none of that 'low-fat' crap]
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. extract [I usually use vanilla, but if you could add rum or lemon]
three eggs, room temp.

Beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Scrape bowl.

Gradually beat in the sugar. Scrape bowl.

Add the eggs one at a time over medium-low speed, putting in the next only after the last one is fully incorporated, scraping bowl after each addition. Stir in extract.

Pour into pan and shake a little to get rid of any airbubbles. Put into oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edge is slightly puffy but the middle jiggles.

Take out and cool on rack with a large enough mixing bowl over it [or turn off oven and prop the door open a bit].

Cool for a while [overnight, preferably]. Chill in fridge for a few hours.

Serve: Slice around the pan with knife to loosen and unmold. Use a warmed knife and cut into wedges. Serve alone or with dessert sauces*.

Variations:

Cookies&Cream: roughly crush a package or so of Oreo-cookes [we still want chunks of the cookies] and fold into the batter when adding extract. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Chocolate swirl: melt five oz. semi-sweet/bittersweet chocolate [I go for the Hershey's Special Dark, but whatever floats your boat] and cool. Mix with half-cup of batter until completely blended. Pour the main batter into the pan. Spoon in dollops of the chocolate batter and use a knife to swirl them, careful not to mix. Bake as directed.

hey, i'm hoping someone has some recipes, or at least suggestions, for me.

i was at 99 ranch market today and, as usual, lost my mind. among other things, i have acquired a small clay pot (it's a lidded earthernware casserole sort of thing, lined with glaze). then i realized, i have no idea how to use it. and my great big chinese cookbook doesn't seem to give any recipes for it. SO: anyone used a chinese clay pot? (the cookbook does say it is also called a sand pot). do i need to soak it before use? it has that sort of porousy-look like it might want to be. i just got a small one - sort of a one-person size.

I typed sand pot cooking into Google, and the second result had some relevance to your pot. It doesn't need soaking (I think that would be bad for any pot glazed on one side anyway) and it's best for braising and stews, which is what I would have guessed. I usually use the crockpot for those sorts of things, but it sounds like a sand pot lets you do them in the oven instead, and doubles as a serving dish, which is tough with a crockpot._________________The reward for a good life is a good life.

ah - that does give some nice usage info.
i did a little looking myself, found a couple references that said you should cook rice in it first, to "seal" the pot (although it's already glazed inside). still - i have a rather nice recipe for baked rice, think i will try doing that as a first usage. apparently you can use them on the stovetop, but i feel safer baking with it...and rice is a safe thing to start with, if it fails utterly, it's not a huge waste._________________aka: neverscared!

A couple weeks ago I picked the last of the hardy kiwis (little smooth ones) from my vine and made a chutney by cooking them down with some onion, sugar, spices and vinegar. Tonight I took some pork tenderloins and patted cumin and coriander on them, seared them on a cast iron skillet, then smeared the chutney on them and cooked at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes (internal temp of 140). Removed the pork to a plate, added some wine to the skillet and cooked on the stove to mix in the chutney and pork drippings until it was thickened, then poured over the tenderloins.

Soak a shaved sheep in 80 pints of the Guinness. Roll the sheep in a mixture of oatmeal and onion. Dig a pit in the back yard and build a fire. Roast the sheep for 8 to 10 hours and drink the remaining ten pints of Guinness. Discard any hairy, bony, or hoofy parts of the sheep, and serve with boiled potatoes, cabbage, and plenty of Guinness.

I think you need more guiness; 8-10 hours are long._________________When life gives you lemons, some people make lemonade. I just eat them and make a sour face.